


Bite Me

by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead



Series: Ogygia [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, it's werewolves and magic and Oikawa having a bad day, oh look I spawned ANOTHER AU, oh um there's shapeshifter-related nudity? am I supposed to tag that? oh well, so basically just another fantasy AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-06-03 09:17:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6605272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead/pseuds/All_My_Characters_Are_Dead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oikawa just wanted a walk in the woods. He didn't want to get bitten by a werewolf, mostly because he didn't even know werewolves existed.<br/>Oikawa is not looking forward to the rest of the summer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to the Blue Forest Pack

"Damn it, Iwaizumi, why did you let Kyoutani out without you or Daishou to keep him grounded?" snapped a voice that sounded incredibly exasperated. Oikawa frowned; he didn't recognize the voice, and now that he opened his eyes and looked around, he realized he didn't recognize his surroundings, either. He did know that name, though. Daishou. Why did he know that name? There was a cluster of people by the door, one of which had his hands on his hips as he stared down slightly into the scowling face of a man with spiky black hair, who looked like he could break the first guy in half if he wanted. 

"He was just running the border. It's not his fault that idiot crossed the line into our territory. He was just defending the pack's land," the shorter one growled. 

"That idiot is  _human_ _,"_ the taller one exclaimed. "He might have some latent powers, but he wasn't a threat.  _Hinata_ is more of a threat than the idiot, and Hinata can't do anything except speed himself up!" 

"He still stank like magic, and crossed the border," a third man, blond and almost exactly the same height as the shorter of the first two, grumbled. "Besides, it's not like I meant to maul him. I just wanted to scare him, but he thought I was a stray dog and tried to pet me." There was a moment of silence. 

"I don't blame you for attacking him," the spiky-haired one sighed. "But damn it, Kyoutani, you have claws. You didn't need to use your teeth; you know what biting humans does."

"Oops?" the blond said with a shrug.

_"Oops?_ If Iwaizumi doesn't kick your ass, I will!" The blond didn't seem impressed, so the taller one added, "You know Daishou is going to find out about this." That seemed to have an impression on the blond, because he hunched his shoulders and turned away. By chance, he happened to glance in Oikawa's direction and scowled. 

"The idiot is awake," the blond announced. "Can we  _please_ pick on him instead of me?" The other two tensed.

"Daishou isn't here, yet," the tall one muttered. 

"It's fine. I'll handle it," the spiky one replied. He crossed the room. "You okay?" Oikawa blinked. He was fine; why wouldn't he be? He sat up to face the three men, and realized several things simultaneously: 

One. He wasn't wearing a shirt, when he distinctly remembered being fully clothed, last thing he knew.

Two. There was what appeared to be a rather large scar of what looked like a bite from an oversized dog on his side, just below his ribs. 

Three. The last thing he remembered, he'd been walking in the woods outside of the town he'd just moved to, and then he'd come across a rather ragged-looking dog. Actually, it was more like a wolf, now that he thought about it. Whatever it was, the animal had attacked him when he'd tried to greet it in a very friendly manner.

"Um." Really, his own eloquence astounded him. "Where am I?"

"You're at my pack's den," the spiky one told him. "I'm Iwaizumi Hajime, pack leader." Oikawa stared at him. 

"What? Pack? What are you talking about? Is this some kind of cult?" The three men exchanged confused looks. 

"Please tell me you didn't just move here," Iwaizumi sighed, running a hand though his spiked hair. 

"Yes, I did. What does that have to do with anything?" Oikawa snapped. 

"We should really wait for Daishou. Maybe he can convince him this whole thing was a dream," the tall one suggested with a sigh. There was that name again. Daishou. Who was Daishou, and why did that name sound familiar?

"Can't. He healed up almost instantly. The bite took," Iwaizumi replied. "He's one of us now."

"But I don't want to join your cult," Oikawa protested. "I just want to go-"

"Sorry, but you're not going anywhere," Iwaizumi informed him. "Not until you learn some control, at least. One of my wolves turned you, so you're under my protection until further notice." 

"Wolves? Turned? What...?"

"Congratulations, idiot. You walked across the border into werewolf territory and got yourself bitten," the blond one growled. "You're one of us now." The words 'werewolf,' 'bitten,' and 'turned' swirled around in Oikawa's head.

"Welcome to the Blue Forest Pack," Iwaizumi added. 

"What the fuck?" Oikawa whispered. "If this is a joke that Makki put you up to..."

"Makki?" The three of them exchanged confused glances. 

"Hanamaki Takahiro? I'm staying with him for the summer?" Oikawa prompted, frowning. 

"Oh! No wonder you smelled a little like a fox," the blond one realized. 

"Fox?"

"You'd think a kitsune's roommate would know better than to cross into werewolf territory," the tall one said with a frown. Oikawa stared at them blankly.

"Kitsune?" he repeated. 

"Shit, he doesn't even know," Iwaizumi realized. 

"Who doesn't know what?" a strangely familiar voice asked. Oikawa glanced toward the doorway, hoping he'd see someone who would save him from this cult of freaks who apparently thought they were werewolves and that Hanamaki was a kitsune. Instead, he saw one of the few people he'd been introduced to when he first arrived in town, a very polite, well-kept man who smiled calmly as he walked into the room. The blond one suddenly grinned and darted to the newcomer's side. 

"Hello, Daishou," the tall one greeted the newcomer. "Kyoutani, you're acting like an excited puppy." The blond one - Kyoutani, apparently - ignored the tall one and circled the newcomer, leaning close to bump shoulders with him lightly. 

"Hello, Kentarou," the newcomer murmured, reaching out to scratch behind the blond's ear like he actually was an overgrown dog. And for some reason, everyone in the room seemed to take this as perfectly normal behavior. "So, what was so important you had to send Hinata at full speed to get me?" The newcomer's eyes found Oikawa, and he blinked. "Oh, dear. Kentarou, please tell me that bite mark doesn't match your teeth." 

"That bite mark doesn't match my teeth," the blond replied dutifully. The tall one muttered something that sounded like 'puppy love', but Oikawa was a little distracted by the newcomer's gaze, because suddenly, he didn't seem so polite anymore. In fact, as he stepped closer, something in his posture was down right terrifying. 

"I know you. You're the latent mage Hanamaki brought to town," he said. "Oikawa Tooru, right? What did you do to make Kentarou feel like he had to bite you?"

"Apparently I crossed a border into crazy cult territory," Oikawa relied faintly. "You're...Daishou, right?" The words seemed to surprise and relieve the newcomer. 

"That's right. And you're not a latent mage anymore, are you?" Daishou realized. "You're a werewolf now."

"Why does everyone keep talking about werewolves and foxes and -" Oikawa broke off, because all of a sudden, Daishou's eyes were completely captivating. 

"Calm down," Daishou murmured. "Relax." Oikawa's body responded before he even processed the words, his muscles relaxing instantly. "Now I need you to listen to me and believe what I'm saying. Can you do that?" Oikawa nodded slowly, because yeah, he could do that. He could listen. "Your friend, Hanamaki, is a kitsune. He invited you to stay with him for the summer because he could smell the latent magic on you, and wanted to see if your powers would awaken if you came here. Apparently he didn't tell you this, probably because if your pwoers didn't awaken, he didn't want you to know anything about magic. Now, Iwaizumi here is a werewolf. So is Kyoutani. Yahaba over there is a healer. You've been bitten by a werewolf, and the magic stuck, so you'll probably start having some strange instincts soon. But Iwaizumi is the pack leader, so he's going to help you through it, okay?" Oikawa nodded automatically. Of course that was okay. Of course the spiky-haired Iwaizumi and blond Kyoutani were werewolves. Of course the tall one, Yahaba, was a healer. "Good. I'm going to look away now, but you need to keep believing what I told you, okay?" Oikawa nodded, and Daishou blinked slowly. All of a sudden, his eyes weren't enthralling anymore. Oikawa frowned and lifted a hand to his forehead. He felt...dizzy, almost. But not quite. He felt like he'd been running in place, and all of a sudden he'd started to move forward, and the world was lurching around him just enough to throw off his balance.

"Oikawa?" The sound of his name made him look up. Iwaizumi was leaning closer to him. Iwaizumi, the werewolf. Werewolves were real. Iwaizumi was a werewolf. He apparently had a pack. There was a whole pack of werewolves. And Oikawa had supposedly been bitten and turned into one.

Oikawa was not okay with this, and he promptly flopped back onto the bed he'd woken up in. 

"No. This can't be happening. This can't be real," he groaned. But Daishou had told him to believe it, so... Wait. If werewolves and kitsune and healers were real, then... Oikawa bolted back into a sitting position and gaped at Daishou. "Did you use magic on me?" he blurted out. There was a moment of silence.

"Keep him," Daishou said to Iwaizumi. "Want me to take Kentarou off your hands for a bit? Yuuji is back in town, and he has some new trinkets." Kyoutani beamed and looked to iwaizumi eagerly, practically vibrating with excitement. 

"Fine. But keep him out of trouble, okay? I don't need any more pups to deal with," Iwaizumi replied. "Yahaba, you're free to go. The idiot seems to be healed up fine." Oikawa bit back an indignant squawk, because he was  _not_ an idiot, he just hadn't known anything about werewolves or magic or anything until just now. And  _pup?_ What the hell? Yahaba left, Daishou and Kyoutani not far behind. 

"You and I need to have a talk about the proper times to bite people," Daishou said to Kyoutani as they left the room. Oikawa blinked - he was pretty sure that was  _not_ something he needed to overhear - and then turned toward Iwaizumi. 

"When can I go home?" Oikawa asked. Iwaizumi tilted his head.

"You are home. Until you settle into your new instincts and abilities, you can't leave pack land," he answered. "And if you try to escape, I'll haul you back here by the scruff of your neck, even if you're in human form."

Oikawa realized then that this was going to be a very, very long summer. 


	2. Please Tell Me That Isn't Tooru

Iwaizumi stared at the idiot human - except he wasn't a human anymore, because Iwaizumi could smell the wolf magic in him - and sighed. 

"The magic will probably start to kick in soon. Before it does, there are some things you should know," he said. The idiot human - not human, and his name was Oikawa, according to Daishou - blinked up at him blankly. "Look, as soon as the magic finishes, it might feel like there's a separate creature in your mind. That's just the wolf instincts, and once you get used to it, they should fade a bit and settle in with the rest of your subconscious." The idiot human -  _Oikawa,_ he was a member of the pack at least temporarily, and no matter how annoying the guy managed to be when he was doing nothing but staring up and listening, Iwaizumi was in charge of him for now, so he really should remember his name - kept staring up at him. Iwaizumi almost snapped at him, but held himself back, because the idiot Oikawa hadn't known about anything supernatural until today, apparently, so Iwaizumi was trying to go easy on him. 

The shift in Oikawa's posture was subtle, but Iwaizumi wasn't pack leader for nothing. He saw the change, the sudden tension in the idiot's shoulders, the way his lips pulled back slightly. 

Ah, shit. The idiot's former latent magic must have made the wolf magic kick in sooner than expected. 

Oikawa had barely heard what Iwaizumi was saying about instincts, because despite the whole 'magically compelled to believe in werewolves' thing, this was a lot to take in, and the nagging thought that while Iwaizumi looked like he was fully capable of crushing pretty much anyone, Oikawa wondered just how strong he was. Now that the thought crossed his mind, Oikawa realized he had a sudden and rather consuming desire to test Iwaizumi's strength by attacking him. And while he tried to convince himself that this was a very bad plan, the desire to lunge for Iwaizumi's throat - while terrifying and really, really strange - was becoming more and more compelling. Oikawa's shoulders tensed, and he found himself baring his teeth in what was a really, really weird imitation of a wolf's snarl. 

"Well, let's get this over with," Iwaizumi sighed. Oikawa's body seemed to take that as permission to move without him wanting it to, because his legs gathered beneath him, and then he threw himself off the bed, right at Iwaizumi, who sidestepped almost casually. Oikawa stumbled and fell, catching himself on his hands an knees, except suddenly they weren't his hands and knees anymore, and he whirled and nearly fell as he tried to stand on legs that were no longer made for walking on just two. He yelped and fell, his shoulder hitting the floor. Panic rose, and he scrambled to his feet -  _paws_ \- and then the reality of the situation crashed over him. He couldn't keep his balance well, he was flopping around helplessly, he didn't know what he was doing, it was too much to take in and then...

Iwaizumi saw the change, saw Oikawa shift to wolf shape, and then saw him tense as he started to panic. Iwaizumi also saw the telltale change in his eyes, going from the idiot's natural brown to a deep yellow color. Iwaizumi sighed. The wolf instincts had taken hold in full force, and he knew from experience that a newly changed wolf wouldn't be able to regain control by themselves. The wolf lunged - Oikawa might be an idiot, Iwaizumi thought, but he made a very fluffy, chocolate-brown wolf - and Iwaizumi had to choose between putting distance between himself and the new wolf so he could actually take his clothes off before shifting, because Yaku was going to be pissed if Iwaizumi ruined another pair of jeans by shifting in them again, and just dealing with the situation. Unfortunately, Iwaizumi's own instincts were running on overdrive because of the wolf who technically wasn't part of the pack, even if he had been changed by Kyoutani, so every fiber of his being rejected the idea of backing down even temporarily. 

"I hate this idiot," Iwaizumi sighed, right before he surged forward to meet Oikawa's lunge, sliding into his own wolf form with the ease of years of familiarity. The wolf part of him was viciously satisfied to be on four legs again, and even the weight of Oikawa crashing into him couldn't dampen the fierce joy of his own wolf form. Iwaizumi twisted, snapped his jaws closed on Oikawa's scruff, and shoved the other wolf to the ground. Iwaizumi didn't want to hurt him - he was just a pup, this was his first shift, and his instincts running wild really wasn't his fault - so instead of sinking his teeth in and shaking Oikawa like the idiot he was, he jumped and landed on his back, pinning him in the least damaging way possible. 

"I heard snarling. Is everything...damn it, Iwaizumi!" Iwaizumi looked up and found a six-inch-tall fairy scowling at him. Ah, he'd forgotten that Yaku was going to be visiting. Now he was really going to be in trouble for shifting in his jeans... Oikawa thrashed, trying to throw Iwaizumi off, but Iwaizumi had been in enough fights in wolf form that he kept his balance and swatted at Oikawa's ears with one paw. "Wait. Who are you sitting on? I don't recognize him," Yaku the brownie said with a frown. Iwaizumi flattened his ears and hunched his shoulders in a wolf's approximation of a shrug. There was a pause, then... "Did you ruin  _another_ pair of jeans? Damn it, Iwaizumi, your clothes are going to be more patches than actual clothes soon!" Iwaizumi sighed. 

"Iwaizumi! I know you're in here! Daishou told me what happened, and you'd better let me see Tooru  _right this second,_ or-" Iwaizumi sighed again. He knew that voice, and he hadn't been looking forward to this particular conversation. Hanamaki, his kitsune ears and multiple tails hidden with magic, stormed into the room and stopped in his tracks. "Please, please,  _please_ tell me that isn't Tooru," Hanamaki said, staring at the brown wolf Iwaizumi was still pinning down. Said wolf let out a little whine, and Iwaizumi swatted at his ears again to silence him.

"Tooru? Like, the latent mage you go to college with, Tooru? The one you brought here for the summer so we could evaluate his powers, Tooru?" Yaku asked, glancing from Hanamaki to Iwaizumi to the wolf who was Oikawa, still pinned beneath Iwaizumi. 

"That would be the one," Hanamaki agreed grimly. "He wandered off this morning, and apparently managed to find his way to Blue Forest's territory, because he got attacked and turned, according to Daishou." Iwaizumi ducked his head, verifying this. "Damn it, Iwaizumi."

"I'll get some clothes so you two can change back," Yaku announced. He turned and flew out of the room, leaving Hanamaki glaring at Iwaizumi.

"You are in trouble," Hanamaki announced. Iwaizumi snorted, pleased with his ability to express his scorn even in wolf form. "I might not be able to take you in a fight, but I can - and will - make life miserable for you and your pack." Iwaizumi very pointedly shifted his weight, making Oikawa yelp. At least the aggression was gone for now, so it shouldn't be too hard to get him back to human form once Yaku returned with clothes. 


	3. All of it was Fine

Oikawa was very unhappy, partly because there was some bizarre, tiny man with creepily adorable dragonfly wings hovering in front of him and telling him to get dressed, and partly because he was sitting on the floor, naked, in a room that he only vaguely recognized as the one he'd been in before everything kind of disappeared into an angry haze. 

"Put some clothes on, damn it," the tiny hovering fairy man ordered. Oikawa blinked at him, thinking  _oh what the hell, werewolves are apparently real, as well as hypnotism or whatever, so why not fairies?_  

"Please get dressed," added the voice of the apparent werewolf, Iwaizumi, who - to Oikawa's mingled annoyance and interest - was wearing a pair of jeans that looked like they'd been sewn back together one too many times and no shirt. Why the man was wearing jeans in the summer, Oikawa didn't know, but there was one unsewn rip on the thigh that Oikawa was kind of appreciating. 

"Are the muscles a werewolf thing?" Oikawa asked idly, eyeing Iwaizumi's chest. There was utter silence. Then familiar snickering drew his attention to his friend, Hanamaki, the reason Oikawa had come to this strange town that apparently had  _fucking werewolves_ running around in the forest, who was apparently also a kitsune.

"Put some pants on before you ask him about his lovely muscles," Hanamaki advised, smirking. Oikawa's unhappiness returned in full force as he remembered that he was still sitting on the floor, naked, in front of a creepy flying fairy guy, his friend from college, and a very muscley werewolf. Oikawa looked around hastily for his clothes, and the fairy guy threw his pants at him.

"What happened?" Oikawa asked when he was no longer completely naked - the fairy guy hadn't handed him a shirt, and he hadn't been wearing one the first time he'd woken up in this room, so he wasn't sure where his had gone.

"You lost control, which is completely normal for someone who's just been turned," Iwaizumi told him. "You shifted, and I had to subdue you before you hurt yourself or someone else." Oikawa looked down at his hands. The last thing he remembered was Iwaizumi talking about instincts, then having an overwhelming urge to try to rip Iwaizumi's face off. 

"I shifted?" Oikawa repeated. "You mean I actually turned into a wolf?"

"A very cute, fluffy wolf, too," Hanamaki added helpfully.

"Hanamaki, you're not helping. I get that he's your friend, but right now, his instincts are unstable, so he's my pack member first," Iwaizumi said calmly. Oikawa barely heard them. A wolf. He'd turned into a wolf. He lifted a hand to the bite mark on his side, feeling himself pale. 

Werewolves were real. Okay, he could handle that. Sort of. He'd always liked conspiracy theories and aliens, and he supposed werewolves were kind of cool. Werewolves were real. That guy who'd used magic on him before...that magic was real. Unless it was just fancy hypnotism? But yeah, Oikawa could handle magic. He glanced at Hanamaki and thought he could even handle the idea of the best friend he'd made in college, who'd invited him to spend the summer in some remote town called Ogygia, where Hanamaki was from, was a kitsune. So fox spirits were real. A glance at the angry, hovering pixie guy confirmed that, yes, apparently fairies were real, too. 

That was fine. All of it was fine. 

Except for the part where  _Oikawa was now a werewolf._ That part, he realized as his breath started to come faster and shallower, was not okay. He'd blacked out, and these people said he'd turned into a wolf. That was  _so not okay._  

"Tooru, you okay?" Hanamaki asked. Oikawa bit his lip. No, he wasn't okay. He was a damned  _werewolf_ and he just wanted to go back in time and talk himself out of that stupid walk in the woods or at least out of trying to be nice to the wolf he'd come across. 

"Oikawa. Hey." There was a gentle hand on his shoulder, but it wasn't Hanamaki's. "Listen to me. Can you do that?" It was Iwaizumi's voice, and while it didn't have the compelling edge to it that Daishou's had, there was something comforting and almost familiar about it. "There you go. Are you listening?" Oikawa nodded. "Good." The hand on his shoulder shifted, and fingers gently pressed into the tense muscles at the back of his neck, rubbing in a very relaxing way. "I know this is all really sudden and scary, but you're not alone, okay? Hanamaki is here, and while he's not the nicest or most helpful person-"

"Hey!" Hanamaki's indignant squawk almost made Oikawa smile.

"-he's still a good friend. And while being a werewolf isn't always fun, and it's actually kind of terrifying sometimes, there's a whole pack of us, and we take care of our own. So you're going to be okay. I promise," Iwaizumi continued. Oikawa felt himself relaxing. 

"So, how long before he can leave the pack's territory?" Hanamaki asked. Oikawa's relaxation vanished. He'd forgotten about the whole 'not allowed to leave until Iwaizumi thought he had control of his instincts' thing. Iwaizumi moved away from him to better frown at Hanamaki.

"Not helping," Iwaizumi informed him.

"Well, you guys live in the middle of nowhere. He's going to get bored. So-"

"You know full well that there's no way to tell how long it will be before someone gets their instincts under control," Iwaizumi snapped. Oikawa was  _not_ pleased by this news, and he scrambled to his feet. 

"You and Daishou can help him the same way you two helped Kyoutani. This isn't his fault, so you shouldn't keep him locked up," Hanamaki insisted.

"None of us became werewolves because we wanted to," Iwaizumi growled. "I know it's not his fault. But that doesn't change the fact that if you stage one of your stunts to try to help him get off pack land before he's ready, people could get hurt and that will be  _your_ fault. And now that Terushima's back in town, heaven help you if you let a werewolf with no control over his instincts loose in town and Daishou and Kyoutani find out - which you know they will." Hanamaki flinched.

"It's already my fault for bringing him here," he replied. 

"You did your job," Iwaizumi replied. "Now, please, Hanamaki. Let me do mine." Oikawa wasn't sure what they were talking about, except that they were afraid that he would lose control, which he'd apparently done once already. Fear washed over him.

"Iwaizumi?" Oikawa spoke up. "You said I shifted and lost control. You said you had to stop me from hurting someone. Did I...attack someone?"

"Yeah. Me," Iwaizumi answered. Oikawa flinched. "Like I said, it's normal. And I'm used to it, so it's fine. You're under a lot of stress, and that makes your wolf instincts run extra strong. But we're going to work on your control, and once you can handle yourself, everything will be okay."

"I don't want to be a werewolf. I don't want to hurt anyone," Oikawa admitted quietly. Iwaizumi's stern expression faded, replaced by a gentle smile. 

"I know. Don't worry, I won't let you hurt anyone. I told you I'm the pack leader, right? Keeping people safe is my job," he said. Oikawa studied him, looking for any worry or reservation that would suggest Iwaizumi doubted his ability to keep everyone involved safe, but there was only confidence and compassion in his expression. "Now, Hanamaki, Yaku, I want to introduce him to the rest of the pack, so..."

"I don't want the excitable furballs to try to chase me again," the fairy grumbled. "I'll be back at my shop if you need anything." Then he turned and flew out of the room. Hanamaki hesitated. 

"I'll come check on you soon, okay? But the last time I saw certain pack members, I may or may not have tricked them into playing fetch, so I'm going to head back to town before they notice I'm here," Hanamaki said nervously. Oikawa blinked, then shook his head and waved his friend off. He could handle meeting more werewolves, as long as he didn't think too hard about the fact that he was one now, too. 

"Fair warning, two of them are kind of aggressive when they meet new people," Iwaizumi told him. Oikawa sighed.

"I think I've seen firsthand how aggressive wolfies who don't like new people can be," he pointed out. Iwaizumi glanced at the bite mark on his side.

"I suppose you have. Anyway, Kyoutani's off with Daishou and probably Terushima by now, so we won't see him for a day or two. But the others are probably in the common room," Iwaizumi said, leading the way. Oikawa followed, telling himself that he could handle this. It was just a couple more people, right?

The racket coming from the common room as they approached should have been a warning, but Oikawa was too busy convincing himself that he was okay with meeting more beings he hadn't known existed yesterday to notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus points if you can guess who the other werewolves in Iwaizumi's pack are!


	4. Embarrassing Things That Have Happened to Iwaizumi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short because finals and Glamour are calling my name, but I wanted to update this story because it's been a while. So here you go!

Oikawa stared at the scene before him in utter disbelief. A pair of shirtless, angry-looking men appeared to be growling loudly at each other as they competed to see who could eat the most food from the table in the corner. A third man was sighing and putting another tray of food in said table. A fourth was bouncing around, shouting excitedly and trying to duck between the two angry ones, snatching food. 

"Oi! Shut up for a second!" Iwaizumi bellowed. All four people froze and looked at him. "Ennoshita, you didn't have to bring them food."

"Tanaka threatened to invade my restaurant, so I figured I would avoid the property damage Semi would have to fix and just bring something here," the one who'd been putting food on the table said with a shrug. 

"Tanaka," Iwaizumi growled. One of the shirtless, angry eaters flinched, then swallowed too fast and started choking. The other one pounded his back unhelpfully. 

"I really don't mind," Ennoshita assured him. "Besides, it's going to be a full moon tomorrow night. Everyone's going to need lots of energy." 

"These idiots get plenty of energy just by existing," Iwaizumi replied with a sigh.

"We left some for you," the only werewolf in the room actually wearing a shirt offered. Iwaizumi frowned at him, then sighed and went over to the table. 

"Come on, Oikawa. One thing that's important to remember around here is that you never, ever let Ennoshita's cooking go to waste. Despite the fact that he's a vampire and can't eat most of what he cooks, he's a fantastic chef," Iwaizumi said. Oikawa hesitantly followed him to the table. Apparently he got too close too fast, because suddenly the two angry ones rounded on him, snarling in a way that normal humans wouldn't be able to manage. Oikawa tensed, feeling a return of that urge to tear someone's face off. "Tanaka. Yamamoto. Quit growling at the idiot pup; it makes you look like bigger idiots than you usually are." They both froze, then turned to Iwaizumi, frowning and pouting. 

"Hey!" Oikawa protested. Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. 

"Did you want to shift and have a brawl with them?" he asked. Oikawa blinked and shook his head. "That's what I thought. Now, these are my pack members, Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Yamamoto Taketora, and Inuoka Sou. Guys, this is Oikawa Tooru. Kyoutani turned him earlier today. He's with us until he learns to control his instincts." The three other werewolves studied Oikawa for a moment. 

"So we're not allowed to-"

"There will be no challenge fights," Iwaizumi snapped. Tanaka and Yamamoto sighed. "Unless you'd like to try to fight me first?" They both shook their heads and turned their attention back to the food. "That's what I thought. Oikawa, eat up. Ennoshita's right, you'll need plenty of energy for the full moon tomorrow night." Oikawa hesitated, then helped himself to some of the food, anxious about the apparently draining full moon and the fact that the cook was a  _vampire_ , but suddenly too hungry to let either of those worries stop him.

"I can die happy now," Oikawa announced a short time later with a contented sigh. Tanaka and Yamamoto, apparently appeased by the food and no longer as angry, flopped onto the couch across the room and turned on the TV. Inuoka hesitated, glancing between the pair on the couch and Iwaizumi. 

"I'm going to show Oikawa around and tell him the basics," Iwaizumi said. "You can tag along if you want." Inuoka grinned, practically bouncing in place with excitement. 

"Will the pack be in town after the full moon?" Ennoshita asked, clearing the empty dishes from the table. 

"It'll depend on how Oikawa's doing," Iwaizumi replied. "Tanaka! Yamamoto! Help Ennoshita clean up!"

"You know, you could always send Tanaka, Yamamoto, and Inuoka on their own. I can manage them," Ennoshita suggested. Iwaizumi sighed. 

"I know you can, but- Tanaka, I swear, if you shift and run off to avoid cleaning, I'm going to tell Yaku you're the one who broke the window in his and Yachi's house," Iwaizumi threatened. Tanaka, now sporting slightly longer hair and wolf ears, froze and slowly let his appearance slide back to a completely human one. 

"If they misbehave at the restaurant, I'll just let Saeko or Sugawara know," Ennoshita said as though the conversation hadn't been interrupted so Iwaizumi could shout at his unruly pack member. Oikawa tilted his head. "Saeko is Tanaka Saeko, that ruffian's older sister," Ennoshita explained with a nod in Tanaka's direction when he noticed Oikawa's curious look. "She's ferocious."

"Is she a...werewolf too?" Oikawa asked, only hesitating slightly. Iwaizumi laughed. 

"Saeko's human. Well, as human as any of the citizens are," the pack leader answered. "But she doesn't let that stop her. Terushima brought this magical battle ax into town a while ago, and Saeko managed to get it before Akaashi could hide it away in the artifact storage at the library. They let her keep it because when they tried to take it away, the thing caught fire. Apparently magical weapons - even the nonsentient ones - get attached to certain people." Oikawa's eyes widened. 

"And Sugawara is an angel," Ennoshita added. 

"What, he's just nice?" Oikawa asked hopefully. 

"No, he's a literal angel," Ennoshita replied.

"That's what he wants you to think!" Tanaka shouted. "There's no one that sneaky and terrifying is an angel."

"Sugawara is powerful, and he's got a lot of influence in town. He also gets along with Iwaizumi and Akaashi and Daishou, so..." Ennoshita shrugged. Oikawa glanced at Iwaizumi.

"The big bad wolf is friends with a literal angel?" Oikawa asked. 

"Please don't ever call me that again," Iwaizumi said, sounding mildly distressed. "Terushima called me that once, and Daishou and Kyoutani laughed every time I tried to talk to them for a week." Oikawa blinked at him. 

"That was almost as bad as the time Terushima decided that since you practically raised Daishou and Kyoutani, he should refer to you as his father-in-law," Ennoshita mused. Iwaizumi groaned and hide his face in his hands. 

"Are we talking about embarrassing things that have happened to Iwaizumi?" Inuoka asked, bouncing up. "Because one time when he was drunk, he started hugging people and when he tried to hug Futakuchi - one of the other humans in town - the golem, Aone, who protects Futakuchi? Yeah, he punched Iwaizumi through a wall because he thought Futakuchi was in danger." Iwaizumi scowled. 

"I'm going to lock you in the basement during the full moon," Iwaizumi threatened. Inuoka grinned. Oikawa thought that maybe this wasn't so bad, if the stern but kind pack leader also allowed teasing from his subordinates, and smiled. Maybe staying with the pack until he could control his instincts would actually be nice.


	5. A Pretty Sunrise Was One Thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so i'm REALLY SORRY it's taken me this long to update, and I swear I'm working on the next chapter of Iridescent. But between Summer Leaves, working, and The Cost of Learning, I miiiiight have had a little trouble with this chapter.  
> Anyway, here you go!

The basics of being a werewolf, as Iwaizumi explained them to Oikawa, were really not basic at all. 

First, there was the pack heirarchy, which apparently actually differed from pack to pack. Before Oikawa showed up, the Blue Forest Pack had Iwaizumi as its leader, and Kyoutani, Yamamoto, and Tanaka were all about the same rank, with similar strengths, and who was the highest-ranking of the three might change on a weekly basis depending on how the competitions between the three of them went. Inuoka was apparently the youngest, and the weakest - although Oikawa really didn't want to test how strong "weak compared to Iwaizumi" could be - so he was ranked last. 

Then there was an explanation of the magical aspects of Oikawa's new life. Iwaizumi told him that it would take a while before they would know whether or not Oikawa's original latent magic would be usable now that he was a werewolf. In the meantime, if Oikawa officially joined their pack, he would be able to use pack magic to control his wolf instincts, enhance his physical abilities, communicate telepathically with the other wolves while in human form - apparently telepathic communication in wolf form with other werewolves was an automatic ability that came with being turned - and conceal himself from magical detection. 

Which brought him to the last point of "the basics": whether or not Oikawa wanted to join the pack. Iwaizumi had offered him a place, and had assured him that joining the pack wouldn't affect his college life. The only reason Oikawa wouldn't be able to return to school at the end of the summer was if he couldn't control his wolf instincts. Iwaizumi had also told him that regardless of his decision, Oikawa would be invited to run with the Blue Forest wolves during full moons. Once he left Ogygia, however, Oikawa would have to find a place to ride out the waves of energy from the full moon. 

Those waves of energy were driving Oikawa crazy as he tried to sleep that night. He tossed and turned, feeling completely restless. His senses were gradually growing sharper, his eyes picking up greater detail but less color, a scent that he couldn't name consciously but found incredibly enticing washing over him, and he was pretty sure he could hear Tanaka and Yamamoto arguing over something in the movie they were watching down the hall. Then there was the issue that every inch of his skin itched. 

Oikawa growled in frustration, and the sound he made wasn't entirely human. 

A moment later, the door opened, and Iwaizumi stuck his head into the room. That amazing scent he couldn't name washed over him, something about it making his skin stop crawling.

"The first couple full moons are rough," Iwaizumi said before Oikawa could ask what he was doing. "Want to go for a run? It'll help take the edge off." Oikawa blinked, and Iwaizumi added, "It's best if you run in wolf form." Oikawa hesitated, but a chorus of indignant shouts from down the hall made up his mind. 

"Sure. Why not?" he sighed. "I'm not going to get any sleep anyway." Iwaizumi chuckled.

"Tanaka and Yamamoto are always extra wound up the night before a full moon," he explained. "Come on. Shift to wolf form, and we'll head out." Oikawa started to protest, because he wasn't sure how to actually trigger a change, and he wasn't really sure he wanted to risk losing control, since Iwaizumi had told him the wolf instinct were stronger in wolf form. Couldn't they just go for a run on their own two legs? "I won't let anything happen," Iwaizumi assured him. Oikawa was irritated by the way he instantly felt more relaxed. 

"I don't know how," Oikawa reminded him. 

"Just focus on it," Iwaizumi replied. "This close to the full moon, it won't take much to- there you go," he added encouragingly. Oikawa blinked, and realized his posture had shifted. "Here, let me help you," the pack leader added, resisting the urge to smile as Oikawa, now in wolf form, tried to stand, only to get caught in his pajamas, which Hanamaki had brought to the pack's home, along with the rest of Oikawa's belongings, just before dusk. Iwaizumi crossed the room and helped Oikawa get the clothes off, then ruffled the thick fur at his scruff. A moment later, Iwaizumi had taken off his own clothes and shifted into the shape of a burly, black-furred wolf. Oikawa hopped neatly off the bed, gaze fixed on Iwaizumi. The pack leader took note of how much more quickly Oikawa had adjusted to his four-legged form this time. 

 _Did you manage to keep your human self awake this time?_ Iwaizumi asked. There was a pause, and then the chocolate-furred wolf that was Oikawa ducked his head. 

 _I think so?_ Oikawa's voice in Iwaizumi's mind was uncertain, the words wavering, not fully formed, because Oikawa was nervous and not used to mental communication yet. 

 _Good. You're getting control over yourself really quickly. I'm impressed,_ Iwaizumi told him. Oikawa's ears pricked up, and his tail wagged slightly.  _Follow me,_ he added, a surge of uncharacteristic playfulness brought on by the full moon making him dart forward, shoulder Oikawa off balance, then bolt out of the room. An indignant yelp followed him down the hall. Iwaizumi ran toward the back of the house, where there was a dog door large enough for even his huge wolf form to pass through easily. Iwaizumi leaped through it, Oikawa scrambling after him a moment later. 

 _No fair,_ Oikawa complained.  _Your legs are longer._

 _That's because I'm the pack leader. Of course I'm bigger and have longer legs,_ Iwaizumi replied. Oikawa tilted his head.

 _Is that really how that works?_ he asked. Iwaizumi actually managed to roll his eyes.

 _No. Honestly, I don't know how the size of someone's wolf form is decided,_ Iwaizumi said.  _There might be a book on it in Takeda's library. We can check once you're in control enough to go into town._  Oikawa hesitated, and Iwaizumi moved closer and nudged his cheek with his muzzle.  _It won't be that long, with how quickly your control has grown. As long as I'm with you, just in case you slip up, it shouldn't be too long before you can go into town. In the meantime..._ Iwaizumi shouldered Oikawa again, this time more gently.  _Come on. We're going to run, remember?_  

* * *

By the time Iwaizumi and Oikawa headed back toward the Blue Forest Pack's home, Oikawa panting and trotting along sleepily while Iwaizumi laughed at him, the sky was beginning to brighten. Iwaizumi paused and nudged Oikawa's shoulder with his own to get his attention. Oikawa blinked tiredly at him. 

 _What? I thought we were going back?_ Oikawa questioned. Iwaizumi gave him a look that Oikawa decided was far too amused for someone who had been running through the woods all night, especially when they were still in wolf form. 

 _Look up,_ was all Iwaizumi said. Oikawa huffed, but obeyed, tilting his muzzle skyward and twitching his ears irritably. He wanted to go back to the spare room and sleep, not stare at the gray-pink sky, which was only even visible because they had been passing through a clearing when Iwaizumi stopped. Oikawa narrowed his eyes, almost asked what he was supposed to be looking at. 

The first rays of brilliant sunlight sent streaks of gold through the soft predawn colors of the sky, and while that would have been nice enough, the way the sunlight seemed to catch and refract through an invisible barrier overhead was breathtaking. Golden light danced through the air, casting a warm yellow glow over the forest. 

 _What...? How...?_ Oikawa wasn't sure what to say, how to voice what he was thinking. A pretty sunrise was one thing. This light show was downright magical. 

_There's a jinn in town, Semi, who can manipulate reality. He and Akaashi, the Magister, keep the town safe from regular humans wandering in, and help maintain enough space and the right climates in different areas for different species. At sunrise, the light passing through the barrier reacts like that._

"Pretty, isn't it?" an unfamiliar voice commented as the golden light vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, leaving behind a rose-gold sunrise that drove the lingering gray from the sky. Oikawa whirled with a very undignified yelp and found a teenage boy with a black undercut and a large build stepping into the clearing. Oikawa tensed, his instincts screaming that strangers were  _bad,_ that he had to protect himself, and... "Easy. It's all right," the boy said soothingly, keeping his eyes purposefully fixed away from Oikawa's, his posture relaxed, his movements slow and deliberately nonthreatening. 

 _Oikawa, this is Ohira Reon. He's an empath,_ Iwaizumi explained. The boy bowed, and Oikawa's instincts settled to a quiet growl in the back of his mind insisting that this was still a stranger, and still could pose a threat. 

"Akaashi sent me. The centaurs are in town," Ohira explained. Oikawa tilted his head in confusion. Centaurs? Seriously? A glance at his own fuzzy brown paws made him sigh. Oh what the hell. Why not centaurs? Iwaizumi's ears flattened. "I know, you're irritated, and worried. Is it the pup? I'll take him back to the pack's home if you want," the empath offered. Oikawa stiffened. Iwaizumi wouldn't leave him behind, would he? What if Oikawa lost control and attacked this kid? Oikawa's ears pressed against his skull, and his tail curled beneath him. 

 _I'm not going to leave you with a stranger, idiot,_ Iwaizumi snapped, resting his chin on top of Oikawa's head. _Your control might be improving but I'm not letting you out of my sight just yet._ Oikawa wanted to be indignant about the larger wolf's response, but the panic that had started gathering in his chest faded with the comforting weight on his fur.  _And if Akaashi sent for me, then there isn't time to drop you off myself. So stay close to me, okay?_ Before Oikawa could really process this, Iwaizumi was pricking his ears at Ohira.

"They're probably still in the park," the empath said, answering Iwaizumi's unspoken question. Iwaizumi stepped away from Oikawa and ducked his head, thanking Ohira, then darted off with a low growl. Oikawa was frozen in place for a second, surprised by Iwaizumi's sudden departure, but a moment later he was springing forward, racing after him, his exhaustion from spending the night running with Iwaizumi forgotten. 

 _We'll stop at Daishou's house on our way into town to shift back. I keep spare clothes there. I don't know if they'll have anything that will fit you, so stay in wolf form and stay close to me,_ Iwaizumi ordered as they raced through the forest. Oikawa's steps stuttered he finally realized what was happening. They were going into town. Where Iwaizumi had said Oikawa wasn't allowed until he had control of himself. 

They were going into town, the morning before a full moon. 

This was a very bad plan, but Oikawa really didn't like the alternative - being sent back to the Blue Forest Pack's home with the emath kid - either. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please please please leave me a comment? comments help motivate me when I'm tired after working all day.


	6. Lev the Very Tall Centaur

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long since I updated this story! No, it's not abandoned, and I promise I'll be updating more. My semester has started, so I have more time to write than I did this summer. Hopefully I'll be getting back to the update rate I had in the spring, so keep your eyes out for updates of whatever projects you like best!

Oikawa barely managed to suppress his amusement as he watched Iwaizumi lift himself onto his hind legs and then fall forward until his paws hit the door of the house in front of him with a heavy thump. When there was no immediate response, Iwaizumi repeated the motion twice, then again when there still wasn't an answer. 

"Fucking hell, Iwaizumi, what do you  _want_?" hissed a shirtless Daishou as he wrenched the door open. Oikawa blinked up at the mage, taking in his tousled hair and impressive collection of fresh-looking hickeys and bite marks. Oikawa turned away. He really didn't need to think about what the mage had been up to. Iwaizumi just huffed and turned in a circle. "Fine, I'll get you something to wear, and something for the pup, too. Everything we have will probably be too small for him, though. You should just leave him in wolf form. He'll be easier to manage that way." Iwaizumi flattened his ears pointedly. "Okay, okay. Just...stay out here," Daishou grumbled, shutting the door. 

 _He seems to be able to interpret your body language very well,_ Oikawa commented cautiously, wondering if that was because of Daishou's compulsion. 

 _I've known Daishou since he was a child. He's had plenty of time to get used to me,_ Iwaizumi replied. Oikawa glanced at the door, wondering how long it would take. Just as he was about to ask Iwaizumi, the door reopened, and a small duffel bag was tossed out. It narrowly missed Iwaizumi's head and landed between the two wolves as the door slammed shut again.  _I suppose Daishou and Terushima are making the most of the time they have before Kyoutani comes to run with the pack tonight,_ Iwaizumi commented, seizing the duffel's strap in his jaws.  _We should find somewhere to shift and dress, then head for the park._ Oikawa's tail twitched, and Iwaizumi made an amused rumbling sound.

* * *

The park turned out to be a huge open area, grassy and dotted with huge, ancient-looking trees, surrounded by neat houses. An elaborate fountain in the middle looked like it would be pleasant to look at or sit on the edge of. If, of course, it didn't have a huge centaur prancing in it. 

The centaur's horse body was pale, silvery-white, with long, spindly legs. The human torso sprouting from the horse shoulders was just as tall and lanky, with silver hair and a wide, childish grin. Iwaizumi groaned and advanced on the centaur, his posture tense but not aggressive. 

"Lev, what are you doing in the fountain?" Iwaizumi demanded. The centaur turned to him and hopped neatly out of the fountain before galloping straight up to Iwaizumi. He skidded to a stop, barely avoiding slamming right into the werewolf, and Oikawa flinched and took several steps away from the horse, conflicting instincts warring in his head. On one hand, he wanted to try chasing the big horse, because he looked like he would be fun to hunt. On the other hand, that was a  _fucking huge_ centaur, and Oikawa really, really didn't want to get kicked. 

"Iwaizumi! The fountain is really nice and cool! You should try splashing around a bit! Maybe it would help you be less grumpy!" the centaur exclaimed. 

"You not causing trouble would make me a lot less grumpy," Iwaizumi growled. Lev the very tall centaur didn't seem affected by Iwaizumi's threatening tone. If anything, he seemed  _more_ excited. 

"But I'm not causing trouble! Hanamaki said it was okay, since Alisa went into the deep forest with her friends," Lev replied, eyes wide and honest. 

"I'm going to kill Hanamaki," Iwaizumi announced. "Lev, go to Yaku's shop. He can figure out what to do with you." The centaur pouted mutinously, an expression at odds with his huge, lanky frame. 

"But I want to play in the water more!" he protested. 

" _Go!_ " Iwaizumi roared. Lev let out a sound disturbingly like a terrified horse and bolted. Oikawa's previous urge to chase the creature returned in full force, and energy surged through his legs as he started after the fleeing centaur. Iwaizumi seized the back of his borrowed shirt and hauled him backwards. "Don't even think about it," Iwaizumi ordered, glaring at him. Oikawa did his best not to squeak as his full-moon-driven instincts told him that yes, chasing that centaur  _would_ be fun, but disobeying the pack leader when he was already angry would  _definitely_ be a bad idea. "Come on. We're going to find your friend the fox and ask him why exactly he thought inviting that horse to play in the fountain was a good plan." 

"You're looking for Hanamaki?" Iwaizumi turned, still gripping Oikawa's shirt so he had to stumble closer to the older werewolf to keep his balance, and frowned at the silver-haired man who had addressed them. "I think he's probably with Matsukawa." 

"If you were here, why didn't you just handle the centaur?" Iwaizumi grumbled. The man shrugged. 

"I figured he'd listen to you," he replied. "Besides, I was busy." The stranger shot a smug glance across the park, to where another man was waiting. 

"I guess handling demons is your job, right?" Iwaizumi muttered. The stranger grinned, apparently amused by the comment. 

"Exactly. So is this the pup?" he asked, eyeing Oikawa. 

"Yeah. His name's Oikawa. This is Sugawara Koushi," Iwaizumi added when Oikawa glanced at him questioningly. Understanding washed over him. 

"Ah. The literal angel," Oikawa mused. "Nice to meet you." 

"So you've heard of me already?" Sugawara hummed, stepping past Oikawa to lean closer to Iwaizumi. "Interesting. Iwaizumi, dear, what have you been telling the pup about me?" Oikawa growled, a barely human noise that erupted from his throat without him being completely aware of it. He didn't like the way this smiling apparent angel addressed Iwaizumi, and he didn't like being called a pup all the time. 

"Cut it out, Suga. Your demon is glaring," Iwaizumi sighed, giving Oikawa a shake via the grip he still had on his shirt. "And you. Behave, idiot. I don't want the angel to smite you." Oikawa stopped growling, but didn't stop glaring. 

"Oh, Daichi knows angels are loyal creatures," Sugawara replied cheerfully. 

"Well, since you're in such a good mood, and you didn't take care of the centaur, you can handle the kitsune," Iwaizumi announced. "I thought this one-" He shook Oikawa again, and Oikawa grumbled, beginning to feel like he actually was a misbehaving puppy. "-had enough control for me to handle Hanamaki myself, but since he's growling so much, I think you should take care of the fox instead. And no smiting."

"You take all the fun out of things," Sugawara sighed. "All right, I'll do it, but only because I know if I tried to hand it off to Daishou, I'd get compelled to do it anyway. Will you and the pack be in town tomorrow night for your usual after-full-moon invasion of Ennoshita's restaurant?"

"Maybe. Why? Do you have something planned you don't want the Blue Forest Pack around for?" Iwaizumi questioned. Sugawara widened his eyes innocently.

"Who, me? I'm an _angel,_ Iwaizumi, you know I don't cause trouble!" 

"You're a literal angel, but Tanaka is still convinced you should have been a demon," Iwaizumi replied. "Don't cause Akaashi any grief tonight, okay?" Sugawara flapped a hand dismissively.

"Fine, fine. I'll behave. Take your puppy home before he growls himself hoarse or something," Sugawara advised, shooting a pointed look at Oikawa, who had started growling again without noticing. Without another word, Sugawara threw himself straight up into the air, massive, feathery, pure white wings appearing on his back and propelling him above the treetops. The man who'd been waiting on the other side of the park copied him, his own wings inky-black and batlike.  Iwaizumi muttered something about show offs, then released Oikawa's shirt and nudged him in the direction of the forest. 

"He's right, we should get home," Iwaizumi said. Oikawa decided he hated two things: literal angels and the full moon. 


	7. You Didn't Lose Yourself

The sun was disappearing behind the trees, and Oikawa couldn't sit still. His skin was crawling, and his throat hurt from growling with impatience so much. 

"Relax, pup," Yamamoto grumbled. "We have to wait for Kyoutani." Oikawa glared at him and tried to stifle the anxious rumble in his chest. 

"Oikawa." Iwaizumi's voice washed over him, along with the same comforting scent that Oikawa was beginning to realize might actually just be the way Iwaizumi smelled to his fancy new werewolf senses. "Kyoutani's here. Let's go." Oikawa turned toward the pack leader and saw the angry blond who had turned him into a werewolf standing behind Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi led the way into the forest, and the whole pack followed, strangely quiet considering how rowdy they had been earlier in the day. Oikawa trailed after them. "Before we shift," Iwaizumi announced as he came to a stop in a small clearing a short distance from the pack's home, "I want to make something clear. There will be  _no_ competitions tonight. Anyone who starts a fight will be banned from Ennoshita's restaurant for six months." The other wolves nodded silently. "Good. Now let's go."

Iwaizumi was the first to shift, right as the last streaks of sunlight faded from the sky. He slipped out of his clothes, giving Oikawa a welcome glimpse of his muscles before his body became the large, black-furred wolf, his fur blending with the shadows. His eyes shone green, a supernatural light behind the color that hadn't been there the night before. Kyoutani was next, becoming a golden wolf with a black streak down each side. His eyes, which had been a very normal brown before, shown almost amber with the light of the rising full moon. Oikawa glanced around the clearing and found the others had shifted already. Takana had been replaced by a dark gray wolf with oddly shaggy fur considering his human form was borderline bald. Yamamoto was now an ashy gray wolf, with a stripe of gold down his spine. Oikawa wondered if he'd styled his hairstyle after his wolf form, or if his wolf fur mimicked his hairstyle. The two of them were shouldering each other playfully. Inuoka was spinning in a circle, chasing his own cream-colored tail. All three had glowing amber eyes in varying shades. Iwaizumi was watching Oikawa, and one by one, the others turned their attention to him, too. 

They were waiting for him, Oikawa realized. And as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he could feel the change itching beneath his skin. Oikawa hastily shed his clothing - no time for modesty, not with the light of the full moon getting stronger, not with the need to  _run_ making his blood burn - and as soon as he thought about joining the wolves around him, he was falling forward, onto paws that seemed to move on their own, carrying him forward until he stood in front of Iwaizumi. 

 _Ready?_ Iwaizumi's voice rippled through his mind, and Oikawa edged a little closer to headbutt Iwaizumi's shoulder before he even realized what he was doing.  _I'll take that as a yes._ Before Oikawa could respond, Iwaizumi threw his head back and howled. The sound resonated with the energy that had been building up in Oikawa since he was turned, and without thinking, he lifted his own muzzle and let out an answering cry. Howls rose around them from the others, mingling into a chorus that made Oikawa's entire being hum with excitement. 

Without warning, Iwaizumi's voice left the howls, and the black wolf whirled and bolted at full speed into the trees. Kyoutani was the first to react, letting his own cry fade as he raced after Iwaizumi. Oikawa surged forward - he was  _not_ about to let Kyoutani outrun him, not when this whole thing was Kyoutani's fault - and passed Kyoutani in a few bounds, realizing that his wolf shape had longer legs than Kyoutani's. Iwaizumi let out a short, sharp bark that sounded almost like a laugh as Oikawa fell into step beside and slightly behind him, Oikawa's shoulder even with Iwaizumi's hip. 

 _No fair!_ Inuoka's voice complained. Oikawa risked a glance over his shoulder. Yamamoto and Tanaka were on Kyoutani's heels, and Inuoka was scrambling after them. 

The other wolves replied, teasing Inuoka about being the slowest despite Oikawa being the newest wolf, but their voices faded to the back of Oikawa's awareness as his senses drank in the forest around him. 

He could see more than he'd expected, between the full moon and his wolf form's night vision. Trees raced past, and then a fallen log loomed in front of them. Iwaizumi and Oikawa surged into the air half a step apart, clearing the log easily. Kyoutani leaped behind them, landed on top of the log and paused as the others passed him. 

 _Daishou and Terushima will be fine. They always are,_ Iwaizumi told him without looking back. Kyoutani huffed and launched himself off the log, landing just a few steps behind Inuoka. 

Oikawa didn't know how long they ran for, but the energy in his veins didn't fade, no matter how many obstacles they jumped or swerved around. The pack moved together, occasionally bumping against each other teasingly, and Oikawa found himself reveling in the warmth of the other wolves, especially when Iwaizumi slowed just enough so he and Oikawa were running side by side. 

 _You're doing well. You didn't lose yourself in the moon or the pack,_ Iwaizumi observed. Oikawa glanced sideways at him, unsure what he meant.  _The first run, a lot of pups will get overwhelmed, and their wolf instincts will take over. I usually have to keep them from trying to start competitions with the others, or stop them from running off on their own._

 _You didn't mention that earlier,_ Oikawa accused, dodging a tree by swerving into Iwaizumi's side. He stumbled, but Iwaizumi just let out an amused rumble. 

 _No, I didn't. I wanted to see if you would handle running with the pack the same way you handled running with me last night,_ Iwaizumi explained.  _Creek up ahead. Don't underestimate it._

 _I won't,_ Oikawa huffed indignantly, noting how far the opposite bank of the creek was. Iwaizumi shook his head and gathered himself for the upcoming jump. Oikawa copied him an instant too late. Iwaizumi surged into the air, and Oikawa followed him. Iwaizumi landed easily on the other side. Oikawa didn't.

Oikawa yelped as his front paws hit the ground and his hind paws landed in the stream. Despite how shallow the water looked, Oikawa's paws kept sinking. He yelped again as he fell backwards, his whole body falling into the water. Just before his head went under, he had a moment to wonder  _how the hell the water was this deep it shouldn't be this deep_. Then there was water in his nose, in his ears. He tried to work his paws, struggled to swim in wolf form. 

Something splashed into the water beside him. Teeth dug into the scruff of his neck and pulled. Oikawa writhed. He was being pulled up, right? he had to get up faster, he was going to drown, he had to  _swim_. 

 _Stop wiggling, dumbass,_ Iwaizumi's voice snarled. Oikawa went limp, the panic that had been overwhelming him vanishing as he realized Iwaizumi had him and was pulling him to safety. A moment later, his head was above the water, and he was being dragged onto the stream's bank, coughing and spluttering, his fur soaked and heavy.  _I told you not to underestimate the jump._

Oikawa whined and stayed limp as Iwaizumi dropped him. He couldn't believe he'd nearly drowned in such a tiny-looking stream. Iwaizumi studied him for a moment, then apparently decided Oikawa wasn't allowed to lay there feeling sorry for himself, because he flopped on top of him. Oikawa yelped, then gasped for air as Iwaizumi's weight drove the breath from his lungs. 

 _Get off of me!_ Oikawa ordered, trying to wiggle out from under Iwaizumi, who simply shifted his weight to keep Oikawa pinned flat beneath him. 

_No. I sent the others ahead, so relax._

_What are you talking about? I can't relax! You're going to suffocate me!_ Oikawa complained, still squirming. 

 _I'm keeping you warm, obviously,_ Iwaizumi answered with a snort of amusement. Oikawa paused, because he could almost picture what Iwaizumi's stern face would look like if he'd been in human form at that moment, and he was very, very pleased with the image he had. The weight wasn't too bad, Oikawa decided. After all, Iwaizumi always made him feel safe. Even with the heavy wolf on top of him, Oikawa felt...at home. So he could bear with this a little longer, especially since it was making Iwaizumi happy...

No. No, he couldn't. He shouldn't be feeling _at home_ here. This wasn't his home. Not with Iwaizumi, not with the pack, not in Ogygia. No matter what his instincts were telling him, this wasn't where he belonged. Suddenly, Iwaizumi's weight was too much again. He had to get away. Oikawa panted and resumed his struggle. 

 _Off! You have to get off of me!_ Oikawa's sudden desire to escape seemed to persuade Iwaizumi, who lifted himself from Oikawa's back and watched with concern rather than amusement as Oikawa shot forward, scrambling to put distance between them. 

 _Are you all right?_ Iwaizumi's ears were flattened against his skull.  _Oikawa, what's wrong?_ Oikawa considered running, but he didn't know where they were, or how to get back to the clearing or anything. He had to get away, but...not yet. After all, it wasn't just the full moon run he wanted to escape. 

 _It's nothing. Sorry,_ he apologized, trotting back to Iwaizumi and shouldering him gently.  _And sorry for causing so much trouble._ Iwaizumi dropped his chin on top of Oikawa's head, and Oikawa had to fight the wave of comfort that washed over him. 

 _It's fine. Come on, it's almost dawn, and you'll be exhausted as soon as the moon goes down,_ Iwaizumi told him.  _Let's head back to the house._

Iwaizumi's words from the beginning of the run came back to him as Oikawa followed the pack leader through the forest at an easy lope rather than the all-out run they'd started with. Oikawa hadn't lost himself. Not in the moon, or the pack. But Oikawa had a sinking feeling in his gut that told him if he didn't get away soon, he was going to lose himself in this life - this other world that existed in this town - eventually. He couldn't let that happen. 


	8. You Can Go Back

Oikawa's whole body felt heavier than usual when he woke, and he groaned and considered going straight back to sleep before he realized why he felt that way. He'd spent the whole night running around, fallen in a stream that was apparently deep enough to drown in even though it barely looked deep enough to reach his knees, then fallen asleep almost as soon as he and Iwaizumi had returned to the pack's home, barely making it to his own room before he collapsed. Oikawa was pretty sure he'd fallen asleep on the floor in wolf form, but he woke up achey and groggy in human form, on the bed. He wondered if Iwaizumi had moved him, then quickly pushed that thought away as a warm, secure feeling drifted through his mind.

Oikawa let himself enjoy the feeling, at least until he remembered what he had decided the night before.

He wasn't going to lose himself in the way the pack - the way  _ Iwaizumi _ \- made him feel safe and at home. He had to put distance between himself and the cause of that feeling. With that in mind, he finally mustered the energy to sit up. He paused, listening intently. The house was silent, suggesting that either the rest of the pack was out, or they were all still asleep. 

Oikawa shook that thought away, too. There was no  _ rest of the pack _ , because Oikawa wasn’t part of the pack. But even after only a couple of days, it was easy to think like he was. It would be so, so easy to just relax into this, to let the rowdiness of Tanaka and Yamamoto and the bouncing excitement of Inuoka and the glaring presence of Kyoutani become a backdrop to a new life. Well, maybe not the Kyoutani part, Oikawa thought with a grimace as he pressed his palm to the scar on his side where Kyoutani had bitten him. But more than the temptation to give in and let himself be at home here, there was the incredibly enticing idea of letting Iwaizumi become his home.

Oikawa reminded himself that he couldn’t let that happen. He had already made up his mind.

He forced himself up, across the room, to where the duffel with his clothes that Hanamaki had brought over was. Oikawa dressed, then slowly shoved everything into the bag before slinging it over his shoulder and sticking his head out of the room. There was no sign of the others, so he headed for the front door. 

Oikawa paused, blinking in shock, when he opened said door and found most of the werewolves sleeping in a heap on the doorstep. Kyoutani stirred and blinked at him, ears half pricked with curiosity. 

“I need to talk to Daishou,” Oikawa whispered, trying not to wake the others up. The thought occurred to him that a week ago, he would never have just...talked to the creature in front of him like he could understand human speech, but now, after only a couple of days in this town, Oikawa didn’t even flinch. Kyoutani’s eyes narrowed, a hint of the moon’s supernatural light still gleaming in his gaze. “Please? I’ll only bother him for a minute, I swear,” Oikawa urged. Kyoutani’s ears flattened, and Oikawa remembered how Iwaizumi had told Kyoutani Daishou would be all right. “If you think I’m about to lose control and hurt him, feel free to attack me or whatever,” Oikawa said, trying not to think too hard about the fact that he was apparently having a conversation with a wolf. “But I need to talk to someone who  _ didn’t _ spend last night in a fur coat.” Kyoutani huffed and wriggled away from the others. Inuoka whined in his sleep but didn’t open his eyes. Kyoutani shook himself, glared at Oikawa one last time, then trotted off into the trees. Biting back a complaint about walking when his legs - and his arms, and his back, and  _ everything _ \- were sore from running so long, Oikawa followed him.

* * *

 

Daishou stumbled to answer his door, muttering about people who wanted him to be awake at such an early hour - it was a crime against nature to be awake this early, honestly - and stared blankly at the person he found in front of him when he opened it. 

“Oikawa?” Daishou mumbled. “What are you-” Daishou’s sleepy question was cut off as Kyoutani shoved past Oikawa, nearly knocking him over, and headbutted Daishou’s hand. Daishou’s sleep-dazed expression vanished, replaced with a brilliant smile as he crouched and threw his arms around the wolf’s neck. “Kentarou! You’re supposed to stay at the pack’s place until you get enough rest,” Daishou chastised. Kyoutani wiggled and pressed closer to him, tail blurring with how hard it was wagging. Oikawa shook his head; he’d never thought he would see someone as grumpy and closed off and Kyoutani seemed so...happy. “Why’d you bring Oikawa with you, huh?” Daishou asked, scratching behind Kyoutani’s ears and looking up at Oikawa. Kyoutani didn’t respond, unless knocking Daishou over so Kyoutani could flop down on top of him counted as a response. Daishou sighed. “Fine, I’ll ask him. Oikawa, why did Kentarou bring you here?” 

“I asked him to,” Oikawa answered. “I..wanted to talk to you. You have compulsion powers, right? Can you...is there any way you’d be able to compel away my werewolf instincts so I can leave?” Kyoutani and Daishou both went stiff with surprise, staring at him. Kyoutani scrambled to let Daishou up, and the mage got to his feet as soon as the wolf’s weight vanished. 

“That’s a lot of magic,” Daishou said quietly. “And it’s dangerous.” 

“But you can do it?” Oikawa asked. Daishou looked down at Kyoutani. 

“I can. But Oikawa, those instincts are part of you now. If I use my powers to make them go away, I can’t predict what will happen to you,” Daishou warned. Oikawa stared at the floor, resisting the urge to growl in frustration. 

“They’re not,” he muttered. 

“What?” Daishou tilted his head. 

“I said  _ they’re not _ !” Oikawa snapped, baring his teeth in a very wolflike manner before he caught himself and covered his mouth with one hand. “I didn’t want this. I didn’t choose this. These... _ feelings _ aren’t me. They’re not part of me, they’re something that was done to me. Something  _ he  _ did to me,” Oikawa added, glaring at Kyoutani, whose scruff bristled as he moved between Oikawa and Daishou. “Go ahead, bite me again,” Oikawa said bitterly. “Not like it’ll matter now.” 

“I think you need to talk to Iwaizumi. He can help-”

“I’ve had enough of Iwaizumi’s help,” Oikawa interrupted. “Please. Just...make this go away. I want to go back to the way things were before. When Makki was my roommate and not some fox spirit, and I was just a normal college student and didn’t have to remind myself I’m a person, and people don’t...don’t  _ growl _ because some weird stranger with...with  _ wings _ shows up and gets too close to someone they just met, and…”

“Oikawa.” Something in Daishou’s voice had shifted, but Oikawa couldn’t quite put a name to how exactly it had changed. Oikawa found himself lifting his gaze to meet Daishou’s, where a hint of the swirling, hypnotic quality from when Daishou had compelled him before was showing. “I know this is a lot to take in. And if you need time to process that, away from Ogygia, I can give you that. I won’t compel your instincts away completely, but I can limit their influence on you. And before you ask, I didn’t do this to start with because it’s better for you to learn to control them on your own. And again, this won’t last forever. Actually, I’m only buying you about a week and a half, because you really do need to learn to control your own powers before the summer ends. Take the time to think about things, okay?” 

“Can’t I have more time?” Oikawa pleaded. 

“No. You should be here for the Convergence Festival, and there’s no way I’d be able to stall Iwaizumi and Akaashi after it ended anyway. So you have a week and a half. Or you can go back to the Blue Forest Pack’s home right now,” Daishou added. Oikawa shook his head. “Okay, then. Let’s get started.”    
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there's gonna be one more chapter - well, an epilogue, really - and then this section of Ogygia's story is done. And I know it doesn't look like a happy ending right now but Oikawa will be back in the next fic, and things will work out, I promise.


	9. Epilogue: Old Wolf

Daishou watched impassively as Iwaizumi stormed toward him.

“Where is he?” Iwaizumi demanded. Daishou met the werewolf’s gaze steadily. 

“He’s gone. He’ll be back for the festival, but he needs time, Iwaizumi. He needs to have a bit of normalcy again, and he needs to process everything,” Daishou said firmly. He glanced over at Kyoutani, who stood a short distance away, watching them both. 

“He’s my responsibility,” Iwaizumi insisted. “You should have waited for me.”

“Iwaizumi, you’re the reason he left,” Daishou told him gently. Iwaizumi froze. “Your job is to make new wolves - or anyone else you’re asked to take care of - feel safe, and teach them to control their powers.”

“I know that. Everything was going great. Oikawa had the best first full moon run I’ve ever seen. He was settling in more quickly than-”

“That’s the problem. I think that scared him,” Daishou interrupted. “You’re too good at your job, and Oikawa got overwhelmed. I let him got until the festival to give him time to calm down. When Semi opens the portals, we’ll bring Oikawa back, and we’ll see how he’s doing.” Iwaizumi glared at Daishou for a long moment. Then his shoulders slumped, and he sighed and ran a hand through his spiky hair. 

“Fine. But if anything happens to him…”

“I know,” Daishou answered wryly. “It’s on me. Honestly, Iwaizumi, you know I’m always prepared to accept the consequences when I use my magic. Trust me a little, okay?” Iwaizumi blinked. 

“That’s not...I do trust you. It’s just…”

“Oikawa isn’t the only one who got pulled in over his head,” Daishou finished. Iwaizumi frowned; that wasn’t what he was going to say. “Face it, Iwaizumi. You’re attached to him, way more attached than I’ve even seen you get to someone in such a short time. When the festival starts, you’ll have him back, nice and safe where you can protect him and teach him how to use pack magic and stuff. You’ll have all summer to convince him to stay with you.” 

“Does Akaashi know you sent him home?” Iwaizumi asked, changing the topic. “Does Hanamaki?”

“Nope. I figured you’d like to tell them,” Daishou replied, suddenly cheerful. Iwaizumi scowled. “Since Akaashi is coming to Ennoshita’s tonight to discuss festival plans and everything, that’ll be the best time to tell him that the werewolf pup will be back then. And since it’s the night after a full moon, and you and the pack will be there, but Kyou and Teru and I won’t be…”

“You’d better be there. What happened to facing the consequences?” Iwaizumi grumbled, glaring at him again. This time, though, there was no real anger in the expression. Daishou smiled. 

“We’ll be there. I’ll tell Akaashi, and if he doesn’t like it, then I’ll just bribe Semi to keep him occupied until after the festival,” Daishou assured him. Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. 

“How are you planning to bribe a jinn who literally manipulates reality?”

“I’ll compel the kitsune not to cause any trouble - or get anyone else to cause trouble - for a full twenty-four hours,” Daishou answered. Iwaizumi laughed, then suddenly grew serious again. 

“I do trust you. You know that,” Iwaizumi said quietly. 

“Yeah. But even an old wolf like you sometimes gets emotional and overprotective over someone you care about. And I heard from Kyou about how you ran with the pup the night before the full moon, when you’ve kept to yourself the night before a full moon run for as long as I’ve known you. I expected this reaction from you,” Daishou admitted. 

“I…he needed me,” Iwaizumi said, frowning as he tried to explain. “It was…”

“Hey,” Daishou poked Iwaizumi’s arm. “Just take things slow when he get back, okay? Don’t freak him out again. That kid’s good for you.”

“He’s the same age you are,” Iwaizumi snorted. 

“Only physically,” Daishou countered. “Now go home and rest, okay? You’ll have to be back to babysitting most of the pack tonight.” Iwaizumi shook his head and turned to leave. Daishou watched him go, then turned to Kyoutani. “You, too, Kyou. I’m taking you home and making sure you sleep for a few more hours at least. Whether Akaashi likes my decision or not, the festival is coming up, and we’ll be working constantly to prepare, starting tomorrow morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's that! Like I said at the end of last chapter, Oikawa and the rest of Ogygia will be back soon, collecting their happy endings during the Convergence Festival, so look for that!


End file.
